Who doesn’t remember Nerolac Paints’ iconic Jab ghar ki raunak badhani ho? The melodious ad jingle, in which the late singer KK had lent his voice, won millions of hearts when it first hit the TV screens and radio sets back in the 1990s. In fact, it continues to remain fresh and timeless, with the brand reviving the jingle in various forms with contemporary touches from time to time.
Similarly, Airtel has an instant recall for its melodious ringtone (a brand tune composed and played by AR Rahman). Vodafone’s You and I, Pepsi’s Oye Bubbly, and Britannia’s Ting ting tiding are a few other examples of great advertisements with memorable jingles.
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It is true that music and melody resonate well with brands. And the recall is so instant that they are not just restricted to music but also the message they carry. But are jingles slowly fading away to message-based or purpose-driven advertising?
“Jingles will never fade away. The power of jingles transcends languages and media. If used the right way, it can do wonders for a brand. If you have a great film, garnish it with jingle and see how it changes the ad. It doesn’t mean all ads need to have a jingle, depending on the medium,” says Pramod Sharma, national creative director, Rediffusion India.
Music plays like an audio mnemonic that increases memorability and hastens the brand’s recall. “Lifebuoy’s iconic health chant or the Hamara Bajaj anthem or Titan’s tune (Mozart’s 25th Symphony), Tanishq’s Remarriage film, a standout example that used Bismillah Khan’s Shehnai score from the movie Rockstar and had purpose-led messaging… Music used in ads is a means of persuasion and helps to complement the messaging,” adds Krishna Iyer, director- marketing, MullenLowe Lintas Group.
Instant connect
Wheaties cereals were branded as the breakfast of champions and were the first commercial jingle aired on Christmas Eve in 1926. Instantly, jingles became the most sought-after advertising element. With ad cost on channels coming at a premium, jingles became an effective way of conveying brand messages in a short but mind-capturing way.
A well-composed soundtrack will jog memories of the brand; so do the visuals and the emotions attached to them. With iconic tunes like Khushbudar antiseptic cream Boroline, Tandurusti ki raksha karta hai Lifebuoy and Happy days are here again, TV advertising brought with it a different language. “Jingles have had a pretty bad reputation in the past few years. They are considered to be a throwback to the days of radio advertising and when the TV could be heard around the house, but not always looked at. Simple sound hooks became the norm for a while, which had their own charm, like the Intel or Britannia logo trills or the Titan and Raymond TVCs, which had memorable tunes at the end. In the digital media and streaming world, tunes can be used in ways that are quite exciting. Songs can be commissioned (like the Soccer World Cup anthems like Waka Waka), tunes can be placed within content, and jingles used in places where an ad would be too obtrusive,” adds Vinod Kunj, founder and chief executive officer of Thought Blurb Communications, a Mumbai-based advertising agency.
Television arguably offers the most engaging medium, with video content that, by nature, enables brands to deliver messages that resonate with audiences. “In the early days of streaming, media advertisers used the same advertising execution that they used on television. India’s long-standing advertising lineage has offered viewers highly recalled jingles that had a long-lasting effect and influence across audiences. As streaming has grown popular and creatives have become more familiar, targeting specific audiences with specific ads, advertising has become more tailored to the environment,” adds Greg Armshaw, senior director, strategy at Brightcove, a Massachusetts-based video hosting and publishing platform.
Post-pandemic, ad creators are becoming mindful to include light-hearted content and this is clicking with the consumer. “Music is still a major part when it comes to branded content made by influencers. A good jingle, which stays in the mind, or a music piece used in the branded content videos, will always have a better impact than any non-musical content,” says engineer-turned-music producer, composer and social media personality Yashraj Mukhate, who collaborated with Cadbury for a ‘wrapper’ melody in 2020. He now feels brands have started investing in content and influencers for advertising and promotions, with a significant drop in jingles that used to be a regular feature till a few years ago.
Mukhate, who personally loves making jingles, enjoys ads that are entertaining to watch. “The brands I usually collaborate with are youthful and fun. I don’t know a single person who has recommended an ad because he or she liked the moral message in it. That never happens. It’s a nice combination of music and content for my audience,” he adds.
Jingles also highlight regional associations and local connect. Recently, dairy brand Country Delight launched a new jingle with music maestro Ilaiyaraaja. The music launch in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana was created for the Ugadi festival. The tune conveys the realities of the brand, as it was born with the idea of being local. “We have thriving local and regional connections, as almost all our milk and other dairy products are sourced from the country’s hinterlands. The tune not only underscores this association but is also extremely hummable,” says Chakradhar Gade, co-founder and CEO of Country Delight.
Last month, Badshah Masala, acquired last year by Dabur, infused fresh life into one of India’s most iconic jingles, Swaad sugandh ka raja. “The new version is a commitment to its roots in India’s rich culinary heritage and reminds consumers of the authentic Indian flavours,” says Rehan Hasan, CEO of Badshah Masala.
Social message vs advertisement
Many creative ads talk about social consciousness or convey a message. For instance, in the last festive season, Cadbury promoted local hawkers through a campaign in which users can use a QR code to scan and help them set up a virtual shop. “By adding a layer of moral messaging, brands can own grand ideas and stand out. Purpose-led campaign or moral messaging helps brands traverse the rational world and occupy an emotional realm,” says Iyer of MullenLowe Lintas Group.
But do brands really need to be purpose driven? “May be some do. But a lot of brands are thriving without moral messages being pushed,” adds Sharma of Rediffusion India.
Both jingles and messaging are relevant in today’s new world of advertisements. “Jingles work best when they are incorporated into the script,” says Kunj of Thought Blurb Communications, adding, “When the story and the soundtrack are perfectly merged, the tune feels like part of the story and not just background music. It has a purpose—to tell the story with emotion. The trick here is to put the jingle to work, in tandem with the visuals.”
Jingles are auditory signatures that aim to drive recall and affinity. Santosh R, co-founder and CMO of Elever, a goal-based investing app, says, “The traditional delivery of musical signatures has indeed undergone a strategic shift. There used to be a thumb rule in advertising, ‘When confused, sing’. A great example of this is the legendary Kya aap Closeup karte hain? campaign, but it’s not as simple anymore. The last time I used a jingle successfully for a campaign was six years ago, and that was for Cleartrip, but the case for creating an old-fashioned jingle is becoming tougher with the rapidly scattered and costlier media landscape and shrinking attention span of the audience.”
“Who can forget the Hamara Bajaj or Doodh doodh doodh ads which have amazing jingles? Today, brands are always looking to connect with their target audience in ways that go beyond just a fleeting engagement,” says Mayur Milan, director, brand communication and digital, Ideosphere Consulting, who has worked with companies such as HDFC Bank, ITC Hotels, Yes Bank, Aegon Religare, Sony Music, Red Bull, Bajaj Allianz, Future Generali and Infosys, among others.
Ads mirror the sentiment of the times. These are times of political correctness, inclusivity and woke fervour. Advertising, being part of popular culture, will therefore weave these narratives into themselves. “There are times when the message overpowers the brand, and that would not be the best use of communication. But these are few and far between,” adds Kunj of Thought Blurb Communications.
Streaming of high-quality content that would typically be shown on a television channel or in a movie theatre results in a much more engaged audience in a viewing state that many refer to as a sit-back experience. This contrasts with the audience’s state when viewing social media, for example. So, being able to deliver brand messages to an engaged audience at scale is what advertisers look for primarily. “Streaming platforms can now offer even greater value to advertisers with sponsored assets and branded content opportunities. They reinforce the brand’s relationship with the viewers’ favourite content and help the brand stand out from the crowd,” says Armshaw of Brightcove, adding: “Advertisers look for new ways to reach and engage with audiences. With streaming on millions of screens, brands have access to a large amount of data points, enabling advertisers to engage with their audiences creatively, and trigger reactions. Video analytics can help make sense of this data and provide deep insights into the audience’s preferences, viewing habits, trends, etc.”
